FAIRFIELD, Idaho (AP) -- Authorities say a fire has destroyed the main lodge at the Soldier Mountain Ski Resort, a small ski operation co-owned by actor Bruce Willis....

FAIRFIELD, Idaho (AP) -- Authorities say a fire has destroyed the main lodge at the Soldier Mountain Ski Resort, a small ski operation co-owned by actor Bruce Willis.]]>Camas County chief deputy Brian Miller says the lodge was completely destroyed in the Monday morning fire, along with the adjacent ski rental building.

The resort is located 12 miles north of Fairfield and its runs are in the mountains of the Sawtooth National Forest. Willis, who has a home in nearby Hailey, has been working with forest officials on a new master development plan for the resort.

Authorities say nobody was injured in the blaze, which was first reported about 7:30 a.m.

Terry Richard/The OregonianA slopeside home at Tamarack. BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Tamarack Resort, the closest out-of-state luxury resort east of Oregon's border, is shutting down Wednesday, March 4. Located in west-central Idaho near Mcall. Tamarack billed itself as the first...

]]>Four years later, the resort operation, including lodging, is shutting down, leaving owners of resort real estate once worth millions fearing the worst.

Factors dooming Tamarack, at least for now, include a spending spree by French owner Jean-Pierre Boespflug that drained a $250 million construction loan, tight credit markets, collapsing resort real estate demand, foreclosure litigation and $20 million in unpaid construction bills.

Sherry Harkin/Tamarack ResortNordic trails at Tamarack Resort, Idaho

Financiers at Credit Suisse Group are pulling the plug after a $2.8 million operating loss since Oct. 20 -- "greater than the receiver (or anyone else) anticipated," according to court documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

Mom-and-pop ski areas come and go, the victims of fickle weather and fickle finances. Where there were once more than 800 such U.S. resorts, there are now about 475.

Still, to find a failed Western resort approaching Tamarack's size and aspirations, Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association, can recall only the 1974 demise of Stagecoach Ski Area, about 20 minutes from Colorado's Steamboat Springs.

"It hasn't happened in recent history," said Berry, who is following Tamarack's fortunes from his Denver offices. "It will be interesting to see if a rescuer comes along."

Tamarack, on the shores of Lake Cascade reservoir, has seven lifts. Of 2,100 planned chalets, condos and town homes, only 250 are completed, near a Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed golf course.

The Tamarack Municipal Association, the homeowners association that maintains roads within the resort, said it plans to keep the area open for owners but it's also cutting back staff.

In August 2005, Idaho's then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne feted President George W. Bush at Tamarack, offering the president a chance to fish and do some mountain biking. Kempthorne was later named Bush's U.S. Interior Department secretary.

Another 174 residences sit half done, a mountain lodge is similarly incomplete and the centerpiece Village Plaza required emergency measures late last year to protect it from winter's destructive forces. Tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf bolted from a luxury hotel project, and Bank of America threatened to remove ski lifts after Tamarack missed payments.

Flash back nearly four decades, to when Stagecoach opened in 1972.

A former Colorado governor handled the ribbon-cutting honors as hopeful locals looked on. Stagecoach owners had Tamarack-sized visions, too: two dozen chairlifts, a golf course, five base areas and thousands of vacation getaways.

Two years later, creditors bolted and Stagecoach died, leaving behind three chairlifts, a temporary lodge and a deserted false-front Old West village, said Chris Wittemyer, whose family bought the property 30 years ago after the bankruptcy proceedings.

Some 200 condominiums and town homes were completed at Stagecoach, along with about 50 homes. Most remain, Wittemyer said, along with 200 homes added by newcomers seeking the rural lifestyle. These days, he takes enough guests up Stagecoach runs cut into Greenridge Mountain on snowcats every year to satisfy his U.S. Forest Service ski permits.

"We do enough to keep the permits alive," Wittemyer told the AP. "They burned the base buildings down about 25 years ago, after the bankruptcy. It's just private ground now."

Could Tamarack be the next Stagecoach?

Douglas Wilson, head of the San Diego, Calif.-based receiver running the resort since October, doesn't think so, despite a dour vacation home market, frozen lending, 38 percent fewer skiers than a year ago and a 67 percent drop in room revenue that led to the greater-than-expected losses and inability to find new financing.

"At some point when capital does become more available, people will realize there is a future here," Wilson said in an interview from his San Diego offices. "Unfortunately, they are going to have interim challenges. Big time."

Credit Suisse and lenders it represents are now owed more than $275 million on the construction loan. They've committed to chipping in $1.7 million, on top of a previous bridge loan of $10 million in November, but the money is well shy of the cash needed to finish the ski season, let alone open up the golf course, Wilson said.

As recently as 2008, Idaho officials aimed to relocate a Lake Cascade campground, to make way for Tamarack's planned $5 million marina, due to include 40 boat slips, tennis courts, a restaurant and refueling pumps. The state has since scotched the relocation and instead plans to improve the campground.

Meanwhile, George Bacon, Idaho Department of Lands director, said he has received Tamarack's $250,000 annual lease payment for the 2,100 acres of state land where the ski area is located. The next installment isn't due until January 2010.

"The real telling point will be next year, to see if the lease is going to continue," Bacon said. "If the lease were to end, the state could look and see if there was someone else wanting to take over what remained."
ANOTHER STORY ON THE CLOSURE OF TAMARACK

By JESSIE L. BONNER Ž
Associated Press Writer Ž

DONNELLY, Idaho (AP) -- Three months after Marcos Salvador was hired to wash dishes at a swanky ski resort in the central Idaho mountains, he stood alongside Roseberry Road in the frigid cold and tried to hitch a ride to his last day of work.

Salvador, a 24-year-old college student from Peru, was among an estimated 250 employees being let go as Tamarack closed down Wednesday after four years of operation.

The first destination ski resort in the country was created in Idaho by a railroad magnate in the 1930s at Sun Valley. Tamarack, which billed itself as the first new destination ski resort in a quarter century when it opened in December 2004, failed because of debt, foreclosure lawsuits and $2.8 million in losses since October.

Salvador paid $300 a month to live in affordable housing provided for employees down the street from the resort. Workers must vacate a colony of rust-colored homes by Sunday, he said.

"We don't know what's going to happen to everyone who worked there," said Salvador, who is going to live with a friend until he can find another job. "I am very sad."

Several factors doomed Tamarack, including an ambitious building plan by French owner Jean-Pierre Boespflug that drained a $250 million construction loan, tight credit markets, collapsing resort real estate demand, foreclosure litigation and $20 million in unpaid construction bills.

Financiers at Credit Suisse Group are shuttering the resort operation after a $2.8 million operating loss since Oct. 20, according to court documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

Douglas Wilson, head of the California-based receiver running the resort since October, has told a state court judge his company plans to use $1.7 million in new funding to mothball the place.

About seven miles outside this former timber town, skiers and snowboarders dotted the Tamarack mountainside on Wednesday against a backdrop of unfinished condominiums.

"It's going to leave a big hole," said Bridget Feider, a 29-year-old snowboarder from McCall who planned to use the last of a Tamarack gift card.

A massive crane hung lifeless near the resort lodge, where a health club employee boxed up spa products. A message thanking employees for their hard work was scrawled across a whiteboard.

Tamarack, on the shores of Lake Cascade reservoir, has seven ski lifts. Of 2,100 planned chalets, condos and town homes, only 250 are completed, near a golf course.

Another 174 residences sit half done, a mountain lodge is similarly incomplete and the centerpiece Village Plaza required emergency measures late last year to protect it from winter.

At the edge of the expansive property of winding roads and fancy, unfinished buildings, Doug Dvorak worked from the luxurious estate home he and his wife built on Discovery Drive.

The 47-year-old and his wife, Cathy, are from Chicago and bought a lot here two days after seeing the resort for the first time. He has poured more than $3 million into the property. He got in 44 days of skiing this winter.

"Nobody, from homeowners to investors, thought this was going to fail," said Dvorak, a motivational speaker who lives in Idaho about six to eight months of the year. "Everybody was drinking the real estate Kool-Aid."

The value of his 3,600-square-foot home has dropped between 15 percent and 20 percent since he built it, Dvorak said. Still, he has no plans to sell.

"Am I happy that I can't get up and go skiing tomorrow? No," he said. "But we're still committed to Tamarack. It's just going to be different for a while."

A small band of homeowners at Tamarack is working with the Credit Suisse Group to keep at least parts of the resort open, such as the health club, and find a way to hold on to the lifestyle that drew people here, said Dvorak, who is treasurer of the Tamarack Municipal Association.

The homeowners association, which has about 340 members, maintains roads within the resort and plans to keep the area open for owners but cut back staff.

Dvorak is optimistic. Some homeowners are angry about buying property here, he said, but some are like him and just waiting for the market to turn around and resuscitate the development.

"There could be a white knight," Dvorak said. "Most of the hard work is done. I think there are some really smart people on the sidelines ready to snap this up."

Tamarack ResortCarving fresh tracks at Tamarack. Will this be the last winter? BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Lenders led by investment bank Credit Suisse Group and the court-appointed receiver running Tamarack Resort in north-central Idaho have yet to agree to a...

Tamarack ResortCarving fresh tracks at Tamarack. Will this be the last winter?

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Lenders led by investment bank Credit Suisse Group and the court-appointed receiver running Tamarack Resort in north-central Idaho have yet to agree to a renewed cash infusion needed to keep the ski and golf resort afloat after February.

Lawyers Thursday described talks over the beleaguered vacation getaway's financing as "challenging," given the poor economy, pending lawsuits, and deeper-than-expected operating losses on the ski hill.

]]>Once heralded as America's newest all-season resort, Tamarack (click for background stories, before the bankruptcy filing) had an operating deficit of $304,000 as of Jan. 23, more than the expected $133,555 deficit two months ago.

A $10 million bridge loan from Credit Suisse runs out this month.

Douglas Wilson, the court-appointed receiver running the place, says no decision has been made to close the resort in March, but he concedes he can't keep going forever without new cash.

McCall Chamber of CommerceMount Rushmore made from frozen snow at the McCall, Idaho, Winter Carnival. When the Yacht Club posts its "right-of-refusal" sign, you know McCall Winter Carnival has arrived in McCall, Idaho. The wistfully named saloon in the landlocked...

McCall Chamber of CommerceMount Rushmore made from frozen snow at the McCall, Idaho, Winter Carnival.

The wistfully named saloon in the landlocked mountain town warns patrons that it "reserves the right to refuse contestants" for Winter Carnival's hairy and sexy legs contest.

But the Yacht Club has never really denied someone the opportunity to show off his or her legs -- no matter how hairy or tattooed those legs may be.

]]>Tom Grote/McCall Star NewsDolphins by Kelly Kolstad of Days Creek, Ore., placed first in the Idaho Snow Sculpting Championships during the 2003 Winter Carnival at McCall, Idaho. Teammates were his wife, Melody, and Gayle Schoepflin of Corvallis.

By mid-February, the snow is piled deep in the Idaho mountains, the thermometer has rarely been above freezing in months, the locals are bleary-eyed from staring at their cabin walls -- and McCall is ready for a party.

For most of the past 80 years, that mid-winter bash (aimed at giving the town's tourism economy a boost, as well as keeping the locals from going stir crazy) has been the McCall Winter Carnival, which begins when three dozen businesses unveil intricate snow sculptures on opening weekend. That comes Jan. 30-Feb. 1 this winter. The carnival continues until Feb. 8, when the grand finale on the second weekend features 10 or so snow sculptures built by teams on-site in a 24-hour frenzy.

On days between the contests, the surrounding mountains offer outstanding downhill and back-country "cat" skiing at Brundage Mountain Resort, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Ponderosa State Park, tubing for the kids right in town and 530 miles of snowmobile trails.

Plus lots of goofy carnival fun.

Last winter, a barrel-chested man who looked as if he could operate a chain saw, tinker with a snowmobile engine and smoke a cigar all at the same time, walked off as the Yacht Club winner of the hairy and sexy legs contest -- proving that the McCall audience likes legs that look as if they belong on a bear.

Nestled on the south shore of Payette Lake, a 460-mile drive southeast of Portland, McCall is one of the West's most picturesque mountain towns. Unlike other Northwest ski towns, where mid-winter melts leave messy streets, McCall's mile-high elevation holds snow from November until March.

Lacking a truly big mountain, the town never developed a big-name ski resort to compete with Sun Valley, Idaho's world-class resort. Instead, McCall remained more livable and family-friendly than other small Western towns overrun by resorts.

McCall's downhill ski tradition began in 1937 at the Little Ski Hill, which is still run by the town ski club. Before long, the area was turning out so many Olympic skiers (exceeded only by Steamboat Springs, Colo.) that the town claimed the title of Ski Town U.S.A.

Brundage Mountain, eight miles north of McCall, opened for skiing in 1961. A diverse, medium-size downhill ski area, Brundage has three chairlifts and 1,800 vertical feet of skiing. Although many vacationers opt for bigger mountains, the appeal for Oregonians driving east is that Brundage is the first place where they encounter dry, Rocky Mountain-type snow.

IF YOU GO: McCALL

Getting there: McCall is a 460-mile, eight-hour drive from Portland. The nearest commercial airport is Boise (fares start at $92), 107 miles away.

Dining: Epicurean for fine dining; the Yacht Club to mix with locals; the Pub for microbrews; Lardos for steaks; Brewsters for live music; Bistro 45 for wine; the Mill and Beside the Mill for classic decor.

Winter fun: Downhill and "cat" skiing at Brundage Mountain; "cat" skiing and cross-country skiing at Tamarack Resort; snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Ponderosa State Park; snowmobiles (rentals and tours) in the Payette National Forest; tubing at the Activity Barn; skiing/snowboarding at the Little Ski Hill; ice skating at the new $5.7 million McCall Ice Rink and Event Center downtown, or outside on the community rink; elk tours at Elk Ranch in Donnelly; bathhouses at Zim's Burgdorf springs.

Vacationers headed for McCall now have another ski area, 15 miles south of town at Tamarack Resort. America's first new destination ski resort in a quarter-century, Tamarack offers 2,800 vertical feet of downhill skiing, plus as much Nordic and snowmobile trails as most visitors can handle. The resort has recently gone through bankruptcy, but its recreation facilities are in full operation.

When classy Tamarack rebounds from its money woes, Idaho's newest year-round resort will inevitably affect the town of McCall 107 miles north of Boise. Building has slowed down at Tamarack, but a lot of awful rich people had atready built their dream homes.

McCall, a regional shopping hub, has far more services than most towns with a permanent population of just 2,300. With two large grocery stores, a movie theater, two dozen restaurants and a new indoor skating rink, McCall has amenities for a town 10 times its size, which is what it becomes during summer vacation.

Winter's big week is carnival, when many of the locals wear $5 carnival beads to raise money for charity. Snowshoe golf, a teen dance, snowman-building and a kids variety show keep locals busy, while out-of-towners enjoy a Mardi Gras parade, theater at the Alpine Playhouse and a torchlight parade on skis. Last year, the 100-year-old Hotel McCall, at the center of activity, hosted carnival guests from as far away as Australia.

To counterbalance the rowdiness of the legs contest, a more sedate Winter Wine Festival and art auction is staged the next evening at the McCall Golf Course Clubhouse.

A short way beyond the golf course is Ponderosa State Park, one of the most varied outdoor recreation sites adjacent to any Northwest city. On a peninsula in Payette Lake, the 1,000-acre park is laced with 11 miles of groomed ski and snowshoe trails. Being so close to town, the park brings skiing and wildlife watching to the daily routine of residents and visitors alike.

After my morning ski tour, the snow sculptures were ready for judging in Legacy Park, a few steps from Hotel McCall. The contest produced some easy-to-decipher designs -- including the first-place dolphins created by Kelly Kolstad of Days Creek in Oregon -- as well as several complex entries that needed interpretation, especially for anyone unfamiliar with "Lord of the Rings" (a popular theme that year).

Sculptures built earlier were spread around town, with a walking map showing visitors the way to find them. The mild winter had brought some unexpected melting, but enough of the designs survived to show how serious McCall is about snow sculptures.

Ten-foot-tall busts of captains Lewis and Clark flanked Sacagawea at the Mill restaurant; a dozen dancing penguins lived up to the contest's theme ("Puttin' on the Ritz") at Krahn Furniture; and Memorial Hospital displayed an imaginative twist on the contest theme ("Put it on a low-fat Ritz").

The snow-sculpture walk leads visitors through the central business district, with its many galleries and souvenir shops.

Many towns and resorts around snow country stage winter carnivals. The largest in Oregon is at Bend, which is in its 10th year and still building a tradition. North America's most famous winter carnivals are in St. Paul, Minn., and Quebec City, Canada, plus the ice arts festival at Fairbanks, Alaska.

Being in Idaho, McCall's Winter Carnival has a different approach to winter fun than more sophisticated cities.

An example is skijoring, the ancient Scandinavian sport of being pulled on skis by an animal. In Finland, they use reindeer. In Oregon, they use huskies. In Idaho, they use horses.

And not just any horse. Competitive skijoring horses have either worked calf-roping events at rodeos or raced on pari-mutuel quarterhorse tracks.

It's almost unbearable to watch as a skier, or snowboarder, attempts to whiplash through a course, zipping right then left to collect rings, as the horse (with a rider) gallops straight ahead. More often than not, the competitor lags behind in the sequence before taking a bone-crunching fall.

When the skijoring event ends, competitors head to the Mill, and its neighboring bar, Beside the Mill, both places where patrons could spend hours just looking around. The Mill, a supper club with an adjacent bar, is decorated with hundreds of beer taps hanging from the ceiling. A circular fireplace has seating for 12, including a pair of two-seat ski lifts. Cross-cut saws and a chain saw with a rusty, five-foot blade testify to McCall's history as a timber town. A trap, big enough to catch a bear with a two-foot-wide paw, dangles open on a wall.

The ceilings and walls at Beside the Mill are crammed with little red wagons, scooters, single-speed bikes, a five-foot model of a float plane, fishing boat engines from the 1950s, Shell gas pumps from the '30s, slot machines and vanity license plates (the one from Oregon says "hooker").

A placard reads, "The Mill and Beside the Mill will provide a safe ride home."

Jean-Pierre Boespflug said talks with HDG Mansur Capital Group LLC, with London, New York, Dubai and Indianapolis offices, were broken off in late November.

He blamed credit-market turbulence, the precarious state of resort real estate, and Tamarack's financial problems.

Also, a judge in Boise this week reserved March 2010 for a foreclosure trial on the vacation getaway 90 miles north of Boise.

Even so, the dispute between Boespflug, Zurich-based bank Credit Suisse and dozens of lienholders who are owed nearly $300 million may be resolved long before then -- determining just who ends up with control of Tamarack assets.

www.visitidaho.orgA summer scene at Idaho's gorgeous Ponderosa State Park. The University of Idaho's McCall Field Campus is open for the winter season, offering affordable accommodations to the public in a rustic and scenic location near McCall and Payette Lake. (Look...

Nearby Brundage Mountain, located high in the mountains of central Idaho, is best known for its powder-packed glades and luxurious, widely groomed runs. Brundage receives more than 300 inches of snow annually, making it a magnet for skiers and winter sports fans.

Yurt and bunkhouse lodging have shared bathrooms, divided into men's and women's facilities.

New this year, the McCall Field Campus offers breakfast and sack lunches for purchase daily. Meals served in the historic dining lodge are available at the following rates:

* Breakfast: $7/person

* Sack lunch: $7/person

* Children age 10 and under: $3.50

Custom meal plans are available for groups of 20 or more. Meal needs may be communicated at the time of booking.

Owned and operated by the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources, the McCall Field Campus now is open year-round for groups wishing to host conferences, retreats, seminars, business meetings, college courses, family reunions and community events in a relaxed,
natural setting with well-equipped facilities, professional hospitality and food service.

Lana YoungCelebrate winter this year on Feb. 13-15 at the Liberty Bank Bend WinterFest in central Oregon. Winter can be a dreary time. So why not throw a party? Snow-zone cities and ski resorts around North America have figured this...

Lana YoungCelebrate winter this year on Feb. 13-15 at the Liberty Bank Bend WinterFest in central Oregon.

Winter can be a dreary time.

So why not throw a party?

Snow-zone cities and ski resorts around North America have figured this out. There's nothing like a bit of craziness, along with art, culture, fun and games, to help get you through winter.

Following is a list of annual winter carnivals. Check Web sites for the exact dates each year.

]]>This may help you get in the mood for the ultimate winter carnival, the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., just a little more than a year away.

Sandpoint, Idasho _ An artificial alpenglow will manifest on Schweitzer Mountain's slopes in the form of fireworks, torches, and snowcat lights on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. to celebrate Schweitzer Lights up the Night.

As part of the Sandpoint Winter Carnival, an array of promenading snowcats is set to groom their way down the JR slope, kicking off the festivities, followed by a constellation of skiing torchlights, and ending with a literal bang as fireworks are displayed over the village and snow-covered slopes. A DJ will liven up the Lakeview Lodge in Taps to follow.

In addition to the radiant review, Schweitzer will be offering a Nestle Cocoa Bar in the village as well as a variety of family activities including moonlit snowshoe hikes, night skiing, campfires, and more. Schweitzer is also offering a winter passport which is checked off as guests partake in different activities. Participants can qualify to receive two complimentary runs on NASTAR race course, as well as raffle entries. Participants will need to sign up in the Activity Center and sign a release to receive a passport.

Shuttles are scheduled to and from the Park and Ride parking lot at the base of Schweitzer for $2 and an early arrival is recommended to ensure a good view. For more information on shuttle schedules, visit www.schweitzer.com and to sign up for activities, please contact the Schweitzer Activity Center at 208.255.3081.

Ski Idaho kicks off the 2008/09 winter season with a new online home and brand to showcase the spirit embodied by the Idaho skiing and riding experience in Oregon's neighbor to the east. As The Soul of Skiing, Idaho's...

Ski Idaho kicks off the 2008/09 winter season with a new online home and brand to showcase the spirit embodied by the Idaho skiing and riding experience in Oregon's neighbor to the east.

As The Soul of Skiing, Idaho's ski areas offer what every snowrider seeks with each trip to the mountain -- uncrowded slopes, undeveloped hillsides, breathtaking vistas - and a reminder with each visit about just why you ski.

]]>The new online destination for Gem State snowriders is geared for Idaho natives and out-of-state visitors alike, with highlights including:

• One page round-up of all 18 ski area's snow conditions

• Mountain stats

• Trip planning guides from lodging options to hot deals

• Year-round mountain events calendar

• Learn to Ski/Ride Programs throughout the state

www.cityofboise.orgBogus Basin lit up for night skiing high above Boise.

Fifth grade ski or ride passport: for only a $15 one time processing fee, fifth graders from anywhere can ski for free at participating Idaho resorts. Endorsed by Idaho first lady, Lori Otter, this program encourages Idaho's youth to explore the winter recreation opportunities that exist in their own backyard. Visit skiidaho.us for more information.

Learn-a-Snow Sport Month: Thirteen industry resort associations representing 20 states are teaming with five national associations to promote January 2009 as Learn-A-Snow Sport month. Participating resorts throughout Idaho will offer special packages for prospective snow sports participants. Visit skiidaho.us for more Idaho information or for all participating states at www.winterfeelsgood.com.

Highlights for the season from specific ski areas:

• Brundage Mountain Resort: A new 1,300 square foot mid-mountain food and beverage outlet at the top of the area's new Bear Chair.

• Schweitzer Mountain Resort: A new interactive trail map on the website www.schweitzer.com allows users to view photos and videos depicting particular runs from the comfort of home. Users can customize their view and print out maps of runs tailored to their personal skill level.

• Sun Valley Resort: The Sun Valley Nordic Center has been relocated to the new 58,000 square-foot Sun Valley Club. The new facility features a restaurant, bar (indoors and out), men's and women's lockers and lounges, equipment storage and repair and rental shop.

• Silver Mountain: A new year-round indoor water park, making Silver Mountain the only resort in the west to combine fabulous family skiing with a year-round water park, nearly the size of a football field.

Idaho TourismGet air in the Bogus Basin terrain park.

• Bogus Basin Recreation Area: a new yurt located on the Nordic trail system, is ski-in/ski-out only (no motorized vehicles). The Bogus Basin Yurt will have some comforts
-- but is definitely rustic, overnight lodging.

• Lookout Pass: An expanded rental shop and new deck on the Summit House Cafe. The rental shop is double its original size with new check-in technology to get guests out and on the slopes without delay.

About Ski Idaho:

Ski Idaho is the voice of the Idaho ski experience, an experience encompassing crowd-less slopes and untouched mountainsides. Managed by Idaho's ski areas, Ski Idaho is the marketing organization that furthers Idaho's ski persona as the true soul of skiing -- a down to earth, friendly and full of life snow enthusiast, which embodies all skiing experiences from pristine groomers to chest-deep powder. As a whole, Idaho offers 18 ski areas, totaling more than 729 runs and 18,692 in-bounds acres of terrain. For more information visit: www.skiidaho.us and follow along on www.twitter.com/skiidaho for daily news and updates.

"To ski and ride in Idaho is to get back to what is genuine and true about the mountain experience," said Phil Edholm, Ski Idaho president. "Our state, from the smallest family-run ski areas to the large resorts, is an untapped mecca for those who thrive on the freedom and escape that snowriding provides. From pristine groomers, to over-sized halfpipes, to chest-deep powder -- we have it all. We are The Soul of Skiing."

AP/Hewlett PackardYou own a cell phone. Use it to call for the latest snow conditions on your drive to the mountain. It's always nice to know whether you should rush to the ski area before the powder is gone, drive...

AP/Hewlett PackardYou own a cell phone. Use it to call for the latest snow conditions on your drive to the mountain.
It's always nice to know whether you should rush to the ski area before the powder is gone, drive slowly to let the minus-20 temperature warm up a bit, or forget about it because it's raining.

There are numerous new ways to get the latest snow information (direct e-mails, Web surfing, podcasts, automatic calls to your cell phone). But picking up the telephone and making the call yourself is still one of the most reliable ways to get current ski area conditions.

]]>So if you're already driving toward the slopes, pass your cell phone to a passenger and have them call the phone number for where you're headed.

Sun Valley ResortSometimes skiing at Sun Valley, Idaho, seems surreal. Idaho is the closest Rocky Mountain winter sports destination for Oregon skiers, so in a time of a tough economy, it may be the best opportunity for a quick getaway...

Sun Valley ResortSometimes skiing at Sun Valley, Idaho, seems surreal.
Idaho is the closest Rocky Mountain winter sports destination for Oregon skiers, so in a time of a tough economy, it may be the best opportunity for a quick getaway this winter.

The resorts in the Gem State don't glitter as much as the ones in Colorado and Utah, but Idaho still has the queen resort of the West, Sun Valley, and the newest, Tamarack.

The tight economy has wrung Tamarack through the financial wringer since last ski season, but it will be in full operation this winter, though construction in the village has slowed to a crawl as the Swiss creditor takes over from the original investors after a default on the development loan.

]]>Don't give up on Tamarack. It's become a quality ski resort over the past rive years, in addition to all its summer activities, and remains the closest Rocky Mountain-type ski experience accessible by driving from Oregon.

The Sun Valley Nordic Center (which doubles as a golf clubhouse during summer) has been relocated to the new 58,000 square-foot Sun Valley Club. This stunning new facility features a restaurant, bar (indoors and out), men's and women's lockers and lounges, equipment storage and repair and rental shop.

Ski rentals, ski storage, locker rooms, accessories, wax room, sunny decks and restaurant service are available every day. Rental equipment is up to date, and well maintained with state of the art boot/binding systems.

Cross-country skiers experience all the amenities of America's first year-round destination resort, including two outdoor heated pools, ice skating, elegant dining, exclusive shopping and village ambiance to complement some of the best cross-country skiing in the Rocky Mountains.

About 25 miles of groomed and marked trails begin at the Nordic Center. Gentle terrain at the trailhead progresses to challenging hills. Gliding over glistening meadows at an elevation of 6,000 feet is a unique experience for the Rocky Mountain cross-country skier seeking a wide variety of classical skate skiing and ski touring. Telemark skiers get a lift on nearby Dollar, Sun Valley's sunny teaching mountain with four chairlifts.

The all-new Sun Valley Club is located an easy walk from Sun Valley Village, about one mile east. Free bus service is available.

Brundage Mountain Resort, located just outside McCall, has a new mid-mountain food and beverage outlet this winer. This 1,300-square-foot log structure sits at the top of one of the area's two new chairlifts (which opened last winter), the Bear Chair. The "Bear's Den" will offer a variety of snacks, refreshments and Mexican cuisine, in addition to great views from the wrap-around deck.

The grooming fleet at Brundage is being expanded. A winch-cat (grooming device which allows for steep slopes to be groomed) will be added this year, in addition to the two new Prinoth BR 350's snowgrooming machines which were added in '07.

New this season is a high-tech snow making system in the resort outside Sandpoint. Subject to favorable snow making weather, this investment could allow Schweitzer to open for Thanksgiving vacations and offer a great kick-off to the winter holiday season.

The new equipment is the most energy efficient and low impact system available, with the latest proven technology of nine fully automated Techno Alpin M18 fan snow making guns moving between 23 hydrants.

A new interactive trail map on the Web site (www.schweitzer.com) allows users to view photos and videos depicting particular runs from the comfort of home. Users can customize their view and print out maps of runs tailored to their skills and preferences enhancing their experience on the mountain.

Other investments in technology include a high-definition video camera that clearly shows the mountain to visitors online, and a second LED sign at the top of the Stella lift that will display weather conditions, safety and other information.

The most exciting new item for this season at Pebble Creek near Incom is a new Kassbohrer Pisten Bully Model 300 Snow Groomer.

In the rental shop, the snowboard inventory has experienced a major upgrade. This season will showcase over 150 boards including more than 100 Rossignal twin tip rental boards with Atomic PIQ rental bindings with quick adjust features. New boots are available for rental as well.

Keeping lift equipment in good shape is always a priority at Pebble Creek and this summer the focus was on the Sunshine Lift, which experienced an extensive overhaul.

Snow fences are vital to holding good snow on the Aspen Area, and a new snow fence line has replaced portable fences.

Hop on Silver Mountain's high-speed village gondola at Kellogg and access 73 ski runs, newly gladed tree areas, or one of the four tubing lanes filled with snow-packed fun!

Last summer, Silver Mountain Resort opened a year-round indoor water park. It's the only resort in the west that combines fabulous family skiing with a year-round water park, nearly the size of a football field! Silver Rapids Waterpark is a perfect 84 degrees every day.

Also, Silver Mountain has expanded its parking lot at the base of the gondola with the addition of 200 more parking spots just off Interstate 90.

Sun Valley ResortThere may not be another nordic center quite like the new one at Sun Valley.Sun Valley Resort now has a nordic center headquarters to match the beautiful log and stone day lodges used by the downhill skiers on...

Sun Valley ResortThere may not be another nordic center quite like the new one at Sun Valley.Sun Valley Resort now has a nordic center headquarters to match the beautiful log and stone day lodges used by the downhill skiers on Bald and Dollar Mountains at Ketchum, Idaho.

The classic Idaho resort debuted its new 58,756-square-foot golf clubhouse and Nordic Center this August. The gracious and spacious new amenity seasonally serves golfers and Nordic skiers alike, with a restaurant, bar, pro shop and year-round, indoor driving range.

]]>The Sun Valley Club will christen the winter season with convenient Nordic ski in/ski out breakfast, lunch and cocktail menus for dining throughout the day and into apres ski hours.

The Blaine County Recreation District, the U.S. Forest Service and Sun Valley Co. are gearing up in a big way for the 2008-2009 nordic skiing season, with more than 260 kilometers (160 miles) of groomed trails for all abilities.

AP/Hewlett PackardYou own a cell phone. Use it to call for the latest snow conditions on your drive to the mountain. It's always nice to know whether you should rush to the ski area before the powder is gone, drive...

AP/Hewlett PackardYou own a cell phone. Use it to call for the latest snow conditions on your drive to the mountain.
It's always nice to know whether you should rush to the ski area before the powder is gone, drive slowly to let the minus-20 temperature warm up a bit, or forget about it because it's raining.

There are numerous new ways to get the latest snow information (direct e-mails, Web surfing, podcasts, automatic calls to your cell phone). But picking up the telephone and making the call yourself is still one of the most reliable ways to get current ski area conditions.

]]>So if you're already driving toward the slopes, pass your cell phone to a passenger and have them call the phone number for where you're headed.

Scott HayneSchweitzer Mountain Resort, with the Selkirk and White Pine lodges anchoring the village. A spring ski getaway eluded me this winter as I dealt with a knee injury. But that didn't stop my ski buddies from going without me...

Scott HayneSchweitzer Mountain Resort, with the Selkirk and White Pine lodges anchoring the village.
A spring ski getaway eluded me this winter as I dealt with a knee injury. But that didn't stop my ski buddies from going without me last weekend. Good for them!

What did I miss?

"Schweitzer has some of the best tree skiing in the Northwest,'' said Todd Richard, my brother. He skied the north Idaho resort with his friend Scott Hayne, also from the Puget Sound area.

During the past few winters, we had taken ski vacations to Big Sky, Mont., Banff/Lake Louise, Alberta, Mont St. Anne and Le Massif, Quebec, and Lake Tahoe, Calif. Todd and Scott have hit many of the top Northwest ski areas (a few have hit back at them, too), so I trust their judgment.

"'It's a casual place with a very courteous staff,'' Todd said. "It has good, steep runs. And it felt like we were on top of a cloud looking down on the lake as we swooshed down the mountain toward the water.''

That is Lake Pend Oreille, one of the biggest natural bodies of fresh water in the West. The ski area looms over the lakeshore town of Sandpoint, a fun, four-season destination resort that is easy to connect to from Spokane International Airport, also by Amtrak and even by highway from Portland.

]]>Scott HayneThe loading terminal for the six-person Stella lift, designed to look like an old Idaho barn.
Scott put in some good words, too, about the ski area: "Be sure to emphasize that it's a nice ski area for Northwest skiers. Good snow, some great terrain and tree skiing, And, of course, the view of the lake. Lift lines never were a problem even on a weekend. The terrain park is pretty popular with the kids.''

OK guys, we know that the skiing is good at Schweitzer (click here for another post on my blog), but how about the apres skiing?

"The bar at the bottom has some good micros. I went for a nice porter while Todd had his usual light fare,'' Scott said.

That's when the arguments began.

After some prodding, I learned that Todd eschewed his typical Silver Bullet for a bottle of Mac and Jack's African Amber from Redmond, Wash. Scotty quaffed a Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewing of Hawaii.

OK, guys, what else. 'Fess up!

I coaxed the names of a few more in-town bars out of them but can't post the comments without worrying about a libel suit. It seems as though they like Saturday night better in Seattle than Coeur d'Alene.

Scotty was most impressed with the $12 burger and beer at the ski area's main village day lodge, while Todd thumbed up Pucci's Pub in the White Pine Lodge.

I guess the night life wasn't all that great. But I wouldn't have cared, since I'm usually asleep on these kinds of trips at 9 p.m. anyway.

www.visitsunvalley.comThe setting for Seattle Ridge Lodge at Sun Valley. Terry RichardWarm Springs day lodge is but one of four like it at Sun Valley. Others are at River Run, Seattle Ridge and Dollar Mountain. Sun Valley The scoop: North America's...

Terry RichardWarm Springs day lodge is but one of four like it at Sun Valley. Others are at River Run, Seattle Ridge and Dollar Mountain.

Sun Valley

The scoop: North America's first destination ski resort is still first in the hearts of many, especially aging baby boomers who recall making Sun Valley trips while Colorado and Utah resorts were just getting their acts together. The resort still offers one of the most classy ski vacations available. Sun Valley is still a bit difficult to reach and its ski-in, ski-out lodging is limited, but the ambience of Idaho's top ski hill and the town of Ketchum keep Sun Valley high on many vacationing skiers' lists.

Get there: Fly Horizon Airlines through Seattle, or make the 10-hour drive.

]]>www.visitsunvalley.comRiver Run Lodge at the base of Sun Valley's Mount Baldy.

Essentials: Bald Mountain is where most skiing takes place at Sun Valley. The River Run approach to Bald Mountain has large parking lots for day skiers, but the closest lodging is a bit too far for walking. The Warm Springs approach to Bald Mountain is intensely developed with private residences and boutique lodges. Downtown Ketchum is a mile from either Bald Mountain access points, while Sun Valley Village is another mile farther. Sun Valley's newest on-mountain day lodges (Seattle Ridge, Warm Springs, River Run and Dollar) are masterpieces made from local stone and timber. Their varied menus offer superior ski resort food.

Downhill: 14 lifts on Bald Mountain, including seven high-speed quads; 9,150-foot top elevation with a 3,400-foot drop; 2,054 skiable acres; three lifts on the separate Dollar Mountain, the beginner hill closer to Sun Valley Village

www.visitsunvalley.comDowntown Ketchum, Idaho, the town at the base of Sun Valley Ski Area.

Tickets: $79 for adults; $16 Nordic

Lodging: Venerable Sun Valley Lodge and the adjacent Sun Valley Inn are two miles from the ski runs, but their historic connection to skiing's glamour days, when many Hollywood stars made regular appearances in the 1950s, keep them in high demand. The Lodge Dining Room is a must. Closer to the ski runs, Bald Mountain Lodge is a popular choice near the Warm Springs lifts, while the Knob Hill Inn puts guests in the center of activity in Ketchum. Use www.visitsunvalley.com to browse lodging options.

Food and wine: The second Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival, which showcases the area as a culinary destination, take places June 6-8, 2008. Three-day celebration will feature epicurean dishes and award-winning libations in a series of seminars, cooking demonstrations, vintner dinners and more. 

Designed to be a fun and educational feast for the palate in an inspired setting, the culinary extravaganza will feature FoodNetwork chef Cat Cora, plus John Tesar, executive chef on Mansion at Turtle Creek in Dallas, as well as other food and wine connoisseurs. For information or to register, call 866-305-9897, or visit www.sunvalleyfoodandwinefestival.com. 

Grouse Mountain ResortGrouse Mountain is one of the closest ski areas to a large North American city, Vancouver. Big city folks in the Pacific Northwest are so smug. We have all the pleasures of urban life at our fingertips, then...

Grouse Mountain ResortGrouse Mountain is one of the closest ski areas to a large North American city, Vancouver.

Big city folks in the Pacific Northwest are so smug. We have all the pleasures of urban life at our fingertips, then we load up the SUV, drive an hour or two and we're at great downhill slopes or cross-country trails.

So which of the Northwest's four largest metropolitan areas -- Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., Portland and Spokane -- has the edge on:

]]>* a range of skiing options?

* access to great resorts?

* quality snow?

* a passionate attitude about winter sports?

After extensive research during more than 30 winters in the Northwest, here's how I rate 'em.

Gunter Marx/Hello BCThe Vancouver skyline on a snowy day. Wouldn't this be nice in 2010?

Vancouver 2010The roof of Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium always looks like it has a fresh coat of snow. This is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

VANCOUVER, B.C.

Population: 2.2 million
Snow quality: The three closest ski areas are in Vancouver's low-lying North Shore mountains, so a plastic bag to cover your clothing is mandatory. Powder becomes plentiful by driving east, or by going up, up, up at Whistler. Rating: 7

Canadian Olympic Committee/APWhistler Village is ready to host its share of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Lifts: Whistler and its sister resort of Blackcomb lead the world in high-speed quads. Unfortunately, skiers from Toronto, Tokyo and all the Toledos (Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Spain, etc.) love all the lifts and amenities, too. Rating: 10

Nordic trails: Whistler could use a nice big glacier to descend from the north and bury everything under 1,500 feet of rubble. That would raise the elevation of the valley enough so cross-country skiing could actually take place on quality snow. However, short of this solution, the village has built a Nordic facility capable of staging an Olympics. I would not likie to pay the refrigeration bills, but you've got to appreciate the effort. Rating: 10).

Access: B.C.'s newish interior freeway system makes it convenient to reach ski areas at Kamloops, Vernon or Kelowna. Whistler's Sea-to-Sky Highway is being rebuilt in time for the 2010 Olympics. Now, if they would only build a freeway so skiers could get out of Vancouver. Rating: 7
Attitude: Whistler stages some type of World Cup event nearly every year, with the Olympics coming to Vancouver/Whistler in 2010. Ski race results actually make the Vancouver TV news, even when a racer doesn't crash spectacularly.Rating: 10
Bonus: Skiing is a way of life in Canada, along with hockey, luge, bobsled, skating, biathlon and curling. With all that fun to be had, it's no wonder those Canucks love the Canadian winter, eh? Rating: 7

Population: 435,000
Snow quality: East of the Cascades and just south of Canada, snow is usually light and dependable. Local hills are spread out, so snowfall patterns are varied and give skiers choices. Whitewater ski area, a mere 140 miles away, is Canada's powder paradise. Rating: 8

Downhill areas: In Washington, Mt. Spokane (29 miles from Spokane), 49 Degrees North (58), Bluewood (148), Mission Ridge (176); in Idaho, Silver Mountain (73), Schweitzer Basin (82); in B.C., Red (131 miles), Whitewater (140), Kimberley (214), Apex Alpine (230), Fernie (245), Panorama (285). Wow! Rating: 10
Lifts: The bad news is that the four closest ski areas have only two high-speed chairlifts among them. The good news is that high-speed lifts aren't needed as much as they are at other ski areas because lift lines are so short. I-90 is better than a high-speed lift. Rating: 6

Nordic trails: Two Spokane golf courses are groomed for cross-country skiing, when there is snow. Mount Spokane has a nordic center, but don't count on daily grooming. For the best nordic getaway in the Northwest, Washington's Methow Valley is 186 miles away. Rating: 6

Access: The four closest ski areas are on different roads, which spreads out the ski traffic. Interstate 90 even has an exit at Silver Mountain's gondola. Spokane needs a better north-south route, but who doesn't? Rating: 10
Attitude: Despite being ignored as a ski town by the national ski press, Spokane's skiers know they are blessed. Even nonskiers know a little something about the sport because they have to deal with snow. Rating: 7
Bonus: Mt. Spokane is in a state park, so alcohol is prohibited except in the lounge. This cuts down on the rowdiness, especially during night skiing. The ski area is run by a nonprofit organization. Rating: 8

Snow quality: Portlanders derisively refer to the snow that falls on Mount Hood as "Cascade concrete," but powder days do happen --once or twice a winter. Trouble is, that usually means it's snowing down to Gresham, and it's too dangerous to drive to the ski areas. Rating: 4

Downhill areas: In Oregon, Mt. Hood Skibowl (53 miles), Timberline (60), Mt. Hood Meadows (67), Hoodoo (135),Willamette Pass (180), Mt. Bachelor (182 miles), Ski Ashland (303); in Washington, Crystal Mountain (205); in B.C., Whistler (389). Above-treeline skiing on an Oregon volcano, the major redeeming feature, is a world-class thrill. Rating: 8
Lifts: Modern lifts abound at Timberline, Meadows and Bachelor, where Portlanders spend the bulk of their ski time. There's even talk that Government Camp, Mount Hood's village, is maturing enough to support a spa. Gasp! Rating: 10
Nordic trails: The choice is simple: Either drive to Mt. Bachelor, the state's only serious cross-country center, or make do with the east side of Mount Hood. Actually, compared with the competition, neither is a bad choice. Rating: 7
Access: Only one main road (U.S. 26) leads from Portland to its ski areas. Expect traffic jams that can be hours long on weekends. Rating: 2
Attitude: When an American won a World Cup downhill, a local TV station showed her teammate's crash without reporting the victory. Back in the '80s, when Sam Lackaff said Portland should bid for the Winter Olympics, everyone laughed (except those who had never heard of the Winter Olympics). Rating: 3
Bonus: Mount Hood has the longest ski season (almost year-round) in North America. Why, then, does everyone quit skiing in March, except racers and snowboarders? Rating: 7
Total: 41

Crystal Mountain ResortLunch on a sunny day brings a killer view of Mount Rainier at Crystal Mountain.

SEATTLE

Population:

2.9 million

Snow quality: This is an oxymoron. No one uses the words "snow" and "quality" in the same sentence when talking about Seattle skiing. Prepare to be wet. Rating: 3

Lifts: High-tech is synonymous with the computer industry in Redmond, not with Seattle skiing. A high-tech upgrade at a ski area usually means another espresso machine, not a high-speed chairlift. It will probably be the resort's 37th such machine. Rating: 3

Nordic trails: Everyone knows it's a joke. But after you're done laughing, head for the sno-parks on the east side of Snoqualmie Pass and enjoy yourself. Or drive 210 miles to the Methow Valley, the best around. Rating: 6
Access: Local ski hills have different access routes out of the metro area, from the north (Stevens), center (Snoqualmie) and south (Crystal). Trouble is, depending on where you live, you're stuck going to the same ski area all the time, unless you fight that famous traffic both ways. Rating: 7
Attitude: Anyone who was a serious skier in Seattle moved to Spokane years ago (at least the ones who couldn't afford Sun Valley, Idaho). Of those who remain, skiing is primarily a way to get out of the rain, although it also beats a day at the shopping mall.Rating: 5

Bonus: Since Washington gets the wettest snow in the world (except for the winter of 2005, when it barely got any snow until late March), anyone who actually skis is extremely dedicated to the sport. Rating: 7
Total: 38

(Population is for the greater metropolitan area.)

Published Feb. 26, 2006, revised Feb.24, 2008, to bring Vancouver to the top because of its Olympic preparations.

Tamarack Resort The super pipe at Tamarack. The majority owners of Idaho's Tamarack Resort say they have filed for bankruptcy protection to avoid foreclosure by a financial lender, according to the Idaho Statesman. Jean Pierre Boespflug, CEO of the McCall-area...

Tamarack Resort
The super pipe at Tamarack.
The majority owners of Idaho's Tamarack Resort say they have filed for bankruptcy protection to avoid foreclosure by a financial lender, according to the Idaho Statesman. Jean Pierre Boespflug, CEO of the McCall-area ski and golf resort, says it's a necessary step to protect assets from Credit Suisse, which is owed more than $262 million from resort construction loans.

He also says the Chapter 11 filing came after a new $118 million loan fell apart because of banking scandals in France.

Still, Boespflug says it will be business as usual at the resort. His company owns 27 percent of the resort, while another company, owned by Tamarack founder Alfredo Miguel Afif, owns 48 percent. Each filed bankruptcy papers in federal court in Boise Tuesday.

An "extraordinarily difficult financing environment" has delayed the resort's construction plans, Boespflug said in a prepared statement.

Jessica Flynn, Tamarack's communications manager, said the resort is enjoying its best season since opening in December 2004. Snow has been in plentiful supply and ski areas around the West are having a banner winter.

"We don't give out skier numbers, but the numbers have far exceeded previous years," she told the Idaho Statesman.

Even though the two largest investors in have filed for bankruptcy protection, the McCall-area resort is too well established to be in danger of disappearing, a ski industry expert said. "We need to keep in mind that the resort isn't going to go away," said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association. "There will be new financing and possibly new partners, and a decade down the road, it will be a minor footnote in Tamarack's history. There is still money out there looking for an opportunity."

Ron Lundquist, general manager of the Ashley Inn in Cascade (the most upscale property in the area outside the resort), said many of the financing problems were beyond Tamarack's control. "I believe and I think my peers in the community believe the company is getting its arms around it and moving ahead," he said. "Jean-Pierre has always done what he said he would in the past, and I believe the same is going to hold true here."

Keep reading to see a blog post published here Feb. 14 on Tamarack.

]]>Tamarack Resort

The scoop: In its fourth winter season, Tamarack Resort has come a long way but still needs one more year before the first phase of its base village is complete. However, that shouldn't stop anyone from skiing at America's first new winter and summer mountain resort to be built in a quarter-century. Tamarack has all the amenities and services of a top-notch resort, even though the bulldozers are still rumbling and the carpenters are pounding away. Just watching the resort grow before your eyes is entertaining, too.

Location: In Idaho's West Mountains above Cascade Lake, 105 miles north of Boise

Get there: Fly to Boise and rent a car, or make the eight-hour drive from Portland.

Essentials: Many village amenities in Discovery Square are still in temporary buildings, though once inside they don't feel temporary. Behind them, the village grows, including a Fairmont chain hotel (due in 2010). Dining on the ski runs is still out of a temporary yurt while a gorgeously located mid-mountain restaurant is under construction. New this year is an Olympic-caliber halfpipe with 22-foot-high sides, 5,000 acres of easy-to-access backcountry ski terrain and snowmobile guide service with riding on 350 miles of groomed trails.
Downhill: Seven lifts, including three high-speed quads; 7,700-foot top elevation, with a 2,800-foot drop; 1,100 skiable acres; skiers limited to 2,000 per day

Nordic: 25 kilometers groomed

Tickets: $59 for an adults; $15 Nordic

Lodging: The 41-room Lodge at Osprey Meadows serves overnight guests at the slopes. The lodge's Morels Restaurant and the Terrace Bar and Grill keep them fed and entertained. The resort has another 100 units in a rental pool among private homes, cottages and condos, all very upscale. For lodging options in the closest towns (Donnelly, eight miles; McCall, 20 miles), check with the statewide lodging referral service at 800-844-3246 or log on to www.inidaho.com.

Fairmont Tamarack, Idaho's first resort property designed with five-star luxury, services and amenities in mind, is readying to break ground

Fairmont Tamarack, an ultra-luxurious resort and vacation home development at Tamarack Resort, is preparing to break ground in 2008. Located in Idaho's Payette River Mountains, Tamarack features a landscape of mountain, meadow and lake that afford limitless recreation opportunities all in close proximity.

The new Fairmont Tamarack will soon introduce an unprecedented level of luxury, services and amenities at this fast growing all-season resort. Fairmont Tamarack is a unique joint venture by some of the most recognized and distinguished names in hospitality and development, as well as former tennis champions Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf through their company Agassi Graf Development. The pair was first drawn to Tamarack's all-season outdoor lifestyle and natural beauty, and soon after developed the vision of creating a luxurious getaway retreat. To fulfill this they joined with Echo Partners, LLC and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a luxury global hospitality leader with more than 50 distinctive properties in its collection including The Fairmont San Francisco, The Fairmont Banff Springs and London's Savoy.

In 2007 Fairmont Tamarack quickly became one of the most sought after ultra-luxury vacation home retreats when 125 full ownership properties garnered $140 million in sales in just seven hours. Affluent buyers from around the US -- including notable celebrities Eric Dane of Grey's Anatomy, Jason Lewis of Sex and the City, and Arizona Cardinal Quarterback Matt Leinart -- were drawn to the prospect of an intimate vacation residence set amidst a spectacular mountain backdrop.

The property's 305 luxury hotel-condominiums and residences will feature scenic views of the mountains, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course and Lake Cascade, all of which are within walking distance.

Homeowners at Fairmont Tamarack will also encounter an exceptional collection of exclusive five-star services. A private snow-front lounge with ski concierge will enable owners and guests to get on the slopes with ease. Here, equipment is held or rented, lift tickets secured, and lessons organized. Other amenities include a kids' entertainment center, salon services, complimentary overnight shoeshine, airline reservation services, on site car rental and a 24-hour concierge.

In just its fourth year, Tamarack benefits from being one of the most extensively master-planned destinations anywhere, incorporating the best elements from a wide variety of world-class resorts.

The Mountain at Tamarack boasts an average snowfall of more than 300 inches and 1,100 acres of ski and snowboarding trails with a 2,800-foot vertical drop from the 7,700-foot peak down to the 4,900-foot base. Despite its appeal, the mountain is limited to just 2,000 skiers and snowboarders per day, affording skiers and boarders wide open slopes and lending Tamarack a distinctly intimate feel.

Summertime brings homeowners a nearly endless and diverse array of outdoor recreation options. Golfers can fulfill their passion at Osprey Meadows, a scenic Robert Trent Jones, Jr., 18-hole signature golf course named "America's Best New Public Course $75 and over" by Golf Digest in January 2007. The resort's extensive mountain bike park and hiking trail network provide forays into the vast Payette River Mountains, while Tamarack's Zipline provides a tour of the resort from a distinctly unique perspective. Other nearby activities include exploring the Frank Church Wilderness or kayaking, rafting, fishing and sailing on Lake Cascade.

Properties are currently available for purchase with prices starting in the $700,000's. Visit www.fairmonttamarack.com or call 888-893-1526 for information.

Schweitzer Mountain ResortBob Legasa takes to the air on a bluebird powder day this winter at Idaho's Schweitzer. Schweitzer Mountain The scoop: The ski hub of northern Idaho, Schweitzer's vast bowls give it the feel of a big Rocky Mountain...

Schweitzer Mountain ResortBob Legasa takes to the air on a bluebird powder day this winter at Idaho's Schweitzer. Schweitzer Mountain

The scoop: The ski hub of northern Idaho, Schweitzer's vast bowls give it the feel of a big Rocky Mountain resort. Over the past decade, the addition of slopeside amenities have tamed its rough edges and given the Panhandle a ski resort worthy of its mountains. Two anchor hotels at the base, plus a longtime condominium village, keep skiers on the hill overnight, though bedding down in lively Sandpoint 11 miles away is still a popular alternative. The ski area invested $10 million in upgrades over the summer, including two new chairlifts to replaces Chair One.
Location: In the Selkirk Mountains overlooking Lake Pend Oreille, 11 miles north of Sandpoint and 86 miles northeast of Spokane.

]]>Schweitzer Mountain ResortThe view from the Schweitzer ski runs takes in a big swath of Lake Pend Orielle.
Get there: Fly to Spokane and rent a car, or take Amtrak to Sandpoint.
Essentials: Most services are in the lower levels of the two hotels at the base of the lifts, or aligned around the Plaza and Clock Tower. The Chimney Rock Grill in the Selkirk Lodge serves Northwest fare and regional wines, while Pucci's Pub in the White Pine Lodge will remind Mount Hood skiers of their own Pucci lift at Timberline Loge. The day-skier crowd is handled by the Lakeview Cafe and Sam's Alley Pizza in the day lodge. On mountain it's the Outback Inn, tucked into the back bowls near the signature Stella six-person chair.

For the first time in a decade, cross-country skiers in the United States have a chance to compete at home against the best Nordic athletes in the world. The annual Masters World Cup takes place at McCall, Idaho, March 1-7,...

For the first time in a decade, cross-country skiers in the United States have a chance to compete at home against the best Nordic athletes in the world. The annual Masters World Cup takes place at McCall, Idaho, March 1-7, but the registration deadline is Feb. 4. The event has both traditional style and skating races.

For Nordic skiers aged 30 and up, the week of racing takes place at Ponderosa State Park in McCall. The event is open to elite racers as well as recreational skiers. Each year, the Masters World Cup is held on a different continent. About 1,000 participants from 26 countries are expected to attend. 

Sherri Harkin/Tamarack ResortSkiers enjoy the groomed trails at Idaho's Tamarack Resort. With more than 150 kilometers of groomed Nordic ski trails throughout Idaho, lots of snow, few crowds and sunny skies, Oregon's neighboring Gem State serves as a popular destination...

Sherri Harkin/Tamarack ResortSkiers enjoy the groomed trails at Idaho's Tamarack Resort.
With more than 150 kilometers of groomed Nordic ski trails throughout Idaho, lots of snow, few crowds and sunny skies, Oregon's neighboring Gem State serves as a popular destination for cross-country skiers. Here's a tally of what Idaho offers the skinny ski set.

Ponderosa State Park is home to one of only two U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association cross-country courses. The park covers most of a 1,000 acre peninsula that juts into beautiful Payette Lake near McCall and includes 23K of groomed Nordic trails that attract more than 35,000 skiers per year. McCall has hosted many large-scale Nordic events in the past and this winter Ponderosa State Park will host the 2008 Masters World Cup.

Bogus Basin, located just 16.5 miles from downtown Boise, is a perfect spot for those who want to ski during the day and enjoy Boise's nightlife in the evening (this is not a joke: Boise rocks at night). The resort offers 37K of groomed trails, some featuring solar-powered trail lights for night skiing. Rental equipment and a cozy spot to warm up are available at the Frontier Point Lodge.

Sun Valley is one of Idaho's premier skiing destinations. It features 40K (about 25 miles) of manicured and marked trails, which begin at the Sun Valley Nordic and Snowshoe Center located right out the back door of the world-famous Sun Valley Lodge. A varied terrain, including both flat spots and challenging hills, make these trails fun for any age.

Tamarack Resort features 30K of rolling trails enhanced by state-of-the-art grooming and snow making, full-width skating lanes and machine-set classic tracks. Rental equipment is available on-site in the Lodge at Osprey Meadows. Races, camps and clinics are held throughout the winter.
Schweitzer Mountain's cross-country trails offer spectacular views of Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille with challenging and friendly terrain for all levels, as well as lessons for experts and for those new to the sport.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort will celebrate the winter season with Sandpoint's annual Winter Carnival. Fun games and activities will take place throughout the weekend. Highlights include a torchlight parade that starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, live music and bonfires, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display. Visit www.schweitzer.com or call 877-487-4643.

Winter Carnival at McCall, Jan. 25-Feb. 3, 2008

An annual favorite for Idahoans and visitors alike, McCall's Winter Carnival is a week of nonstop entertainment, fresh powder and an ideal escape from the mundane office atmosphere. Visitors won't run short of things to do or see. Events throughout the week include local snow sculptures, the children's neon lights parade, snowshoe golf, family fun trail day, a harmonica festival, Idaho State Snow Sculpting Championships, avalanche transceiver extravaganza, best beard, hairy & sexy leg contest, a snowmobile fun run, the Idaho Winter Games on Brundage Mountain and more. Visit: www.mccallwintercarnival.com or www.visitid.org.

Brundage MountainThe new Lakeview Bowl that will open this winter for skiing at Brundage Mountain near McCall, Idaho. Here's a peek at 160 acres of new ski terrain that will open this winter, just across the Idaho border at Brundage...

Brundage MountainThe new Lakeview Bowl that will open this winter for skiing at Brundage Mountain near McCall, Idaho.

Here's a peek at 160 acres of new ski terrain that will open this winter, just across the Idaho border at Brundage Mountain ski area.

Idaho's ski resorts, often the first out-of-state experience for Oregonians, are getting ready for winter. Continue reading to see what's going on this winter in the Gem State. For more on skiing in Idaho, read about my trip last March under the "Idaho ski'' category on my blog at blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard.

Contact me at terryrichard@news.oregonian.com

IDAHO GETS READY FOR SKI SEASON WITH NEW TERRAIN, BIG EVENTS

Expanded terrain, more runs, new high speed chairlifts and hosting the 2008 Special Olympic World Winter Invitational Games are just a few of the major developments at Idaho ski resorts this season.

Treasure Valley favorite Bogus Basin (www.bogusbasin.com) will play host to several events during the four-day Special Olympics World Winter Invitational Games Feb. 25-28, 2008.
Located 16 miles north of downtown Boise with 2,600 acres of ski and snowboard terrain, Bogus has something to offer people of all ages and skill levels. Bogus is most noted for its 165 acres of night skiing terrain, more than any other ski area in Idaho.

Brundage Mountain Resort (www.brundage.com) just north of McCall has two new chairlifts and brand new terrain that will be completed by opening day of the 2007-08 season. The Lakeview triple chair will open up nearly 160 acres of new terrain on the south side of Brundage Mountain. This new terrain includes four new runs with names honoring the area's rich forestry tradition including Dropline, HotShot, Springboard and Backcut. The terrain will vary from rolling slopes to steep pitches, providing access to a whole new area of powdery glades. The Bear Chair will span 2,482 feet with a vertical rise of over 600 feet. Together the two new chairlifts will increase the resort's uphill capacity from 3,100 skiers per hour to 6,700 per hour and will bring the resort's total lift-served acreage to 1,500 acres. Additionally, a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service was completed in August 2006 which put 388 acres of Brundage Mountain base area terrain into the private ownership of Brundage Mountain Resort. Brundage will now be able to build slope-side lodging facilities and begin the transition from a popular day ski area to a destination resort.

Lookout Pass (www.skilookout.com) near Wallace is also gearing up for the 2007-08 season with a new Northstar lift on the north side of the mountain, three new advanced runs, three new intermediate runs and new terrain park features including rails and boxes. The opening of the Summit House - an old ski patrol shack turned cafe - will offer a retreat for skiers to purchase snacks, drinks and take a break.

Eleven miles outside of Sandpoint, Schweitzer Mountain (www.schweitzer.com) is investing $10 million dollars in on-mountain improvements. Two new lifts will increase total uphill capacity for the mountain and ease accessibility to low angle terrain for skiers and snowboarders. The new Basin Express is a high-speed detachable quad that will eliminate the hike to the current Chair One. The Lakeview Triple, a fixed grip triple chair, will provide access to the mostly expert terrain in the South Bowl. These additions will decrease ride times by almost half, allowing skiers and snowboarders more time on the slopes and less time in line. More than $2 million will be invested in utilities to accommodate continued expansion of the mountain, while another $2 million will be put into grooming and snowmaking equipment, lodge improvements and other chairlift upgrades.

Kellogg's Silver Mountain (www.silvermt.com) has a lot going on as it transforms itself into a four-season destination resort. Improvements include a new snow tubing park, a moving carpet lift and the addition of a new indoor water park, just to name a few.

Silver Mountain's new snow tubing park is the perfect winter activity for everyone. There's no hiking back to the top thanks to the new conveyor lift that effortlessly whisks tubers and their tubes back to the top of the park for another run.

Silver has also doubled the size of its beginner terrain park which will help to teach beginners how to kick off a lifetime of winter fun. Plus, the new moving carpet lift replaces the handle tow, providing an easy and effortless way for first-timers to get back to the top.

Surf the snow all day, then surf the water in the evening. Opening in the spring of 2008, Silver Rapids Indoor Water Park will feature an adventure river, activity lagoon, body and tube slides, and a family raft slide. Likely to be the most popular thrill is the FlowRider Surf Wave. In just 10 seconds, 10,000 gallons of surging water is released into the wave box, combining the thrills of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.
Sun Valley (www.sunvalley.com) is heading into its 72nd season of world class services and ski offerings. The resort's main ski mountain, Baldy, offers 65 varied runs while Dollar offers 13 runs that are ideal for beginning skiers and boarders. By opening day of the 2007-08 ski season, two brand new high speed quads will be open on Dollar Mountain. And with forest service approval, additional snowmaking will be added to Undergraduate and Janss Pass runs on Bald Mountain.

Tamarack ResortCarving fresh tracks at Tamarack.

Tamarack Resort (www.tamarackidaho.com) in Donnelly will be the resort to watch in the coming years as it continues to expand. Tamarack is famous for its world-class skiing and four-season resort qualities. With 850 skiable acres more than 5,000 acres of expert backcountry terrain and 265 acres of gladed tree skiing on the mountain, Tamarack is making continuous efforts to expand its offerings to skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels. A few highlights of the 2007-08 season include the following:

- A new, 22-foot Olympic-sized SuperPipe will be one of only a half-dozen in North America to showcase the new Olympic standard: 22-foot high walls.

- Two new runs for this season for a total of 41.

- To round out the winter adventure experience, Tamarack has acquired an outfitting license to run its own snowmobiling operations this season. Leaving from the resort's 7,700-foot summit, guests will have access to more than 350 miles of groomed trails in the Payette River Mountains, along with endless miles of backcountry terrain in the Boise and Payette National Forests.

Tamarack will also play host once again to America's premier snowboarding competition, the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, Feb. 9-10. Thousands of spectators turned out last winter to cheer on dozens of Olympic and X-Games medalists in the Hells Canyon SuperPipe and on a specially designed Snowboardcross course. And in late February, Tamarack will help to host the 2008 Special Olympics World Winter Invitational Games.

Idaho is a popular winter destination for skiers and boarders offering beautifully groomed runs and glades of feather-light powder for all skiing and boarding abilities. With more than 26,000 leg-burning vertical feet, 22,000 skiable acres and an endless array of Nordic trails and loops, Idaho has become a hub for skiers and boarders seeking blue skies, fresh powder and few crowds. For a listing of all of Idaho's ski areas, visit www.idahowinter.org.

www.visitsunvalley.comDowntown Ketchum, Idaho, in winter. America's oldest winter resort keeps getting better. Sun Valley and Ketchum, Idaho, have plenty of new developments for the 2007/2008 winter season. While visitors can always count on great skiing and a winter wonderland...

While visitors can always count on great skiing and a winter wonderland of activities the area is famous for, they'll also find big changes making a winter vacation better than ever.

Among them are new lifts at Dollar Mountain, the beginnings of a pedestrian development in Ketchum and wireless Internet throughout town.

Click on "continue ready the entry" to learn more.

]]>New Dollar Mountain Quad Lifts and Snowmaking

The treeless, groomed slopes of Dollar Mountain offer excellent conditions for beginning skiers and snowboarders. This ski season, two new high-speed detachable quad chairlifts will replace Quarter and Dollar lifts on Dollar Mountain, doubling the lift capacity on Sun Valley's beginner and children's ski mountain. With a total of 13 runs, Dollar has gentle terrain mixed with more challenging slopes to allow skiers to master their techniques before graduating to Bald Mountain (the expert mountain a mile away). In addition, 60 percent of Dollar Mountain's ski runs will be under snowmaking. Twelve acres of snowmaking and 27 York Safyr Tower Guns will be added to the existing snowmaking system, and will greatly enhance Dollar Mountain's early season snow coverage and ski conditions.

Ketchum's 4th Street Heritage Corridor

Downtown Ketchum is planning on millions of dollars in improvements over the next five years, beginning with the development of a pedestrian gathering/walkway that, when complete, will extend eight blocks through the heart of downtown Ketchum. The public space, which includes a central town plaza, provides a spot for outdoor concerts, festivals and markets, and a charming atmosphere for walking, shopping or just hanging out enjoying the views of Baldy and surrounding mountains. The first two-block phase opened in July 2007. Since its opening, this corridor has enjoyed a Fourth on July Celebration, weekly Farmer's Markets, children's carnivals and dance exhibitions.
$19-million state-of-the-art YMCA opens in November

The Wood River Valley is anticipating the Nov. 3 opening of the new $19-million YMCA for laps in the Bill Janss Aquatic Center or sending the kids to the Climbing Canyon and more. Destined to be the "heart of the community," the 95,000-square foot facility will also offer educational and cultural resources including an audio-visual studio where members can produce their own documentaries. The new facility is upscale and family-friendly. Daily and short-term passes are available for visitors. Members of any YMCA in Idaho are able to go to the Wood River YMCA free of charge, and members of any YMCA in the U.S. can visit the Wood River YMCA 10 times free of charge. www.woodriverymca.org

Ketchum's gone wireless

Sun Valley and Ketchum make for a great escape, but most visitors still need to stay plugged into the lives they've left behind. That is now easier than ever because Ketchum has gone wireless, thanks to a recent grant from Allen & Company, which holds its annual meeting of the world's movers and shakers every July in Sun Valley. The Ketchum Community Wireless project allows for visitors and residents to connect to the global economy.

New businesses

Ketchum announces the opening two businesses that visitors may want to use:

Dirty Little Roddy's, Ketchum's newest nightclub is on the corner of Sun Valley Road and Main Street. Come for the nightly drink specials and test yourself on the mechanical bull. 208-726-1825, www.dirtylittleroddys.com

Brundage MountainThe new Lakeview Bowl that will open this winter for skiing at Brundage Mountain near McCall, Idaho. Here's a peek at 150 acres of new ski terrain that will open this winter, just across the Idaho border at Brundage...

Brundage MountainThe new Lakeview Bowl that will open this winter for skiing at Brundage Mountain near McCall, Idaho.

Here's a peek at 150 acres of new ski terrain that will open this winter, just across the Idaho border at Brundage Mountain ski area.

Just north of McCall, Brundage is the long-time ski hill trying to keep up with the ritzy new kid on the block, Tamarack. It's a friendly rivalry and the two together make the fun town of McCall a logical first out-of-state ski vacation that Portland skiers should consider.

For a look at how Lakeview Bowl fits into the overall picture, click here on the ski area's Web site www.brundage.com and look for the blue link on the home page for the overall trail map.

The Lakeview chair is a fixed-grip triple with a vertical rise of 816 feet. The lake you see from it is sprawling Payette Lake.

The ski area is also adding the Bear chair, which will serve some underutilized terrain low on the mountain and help better connect existing lifts. It has a 622-foot vertical drop and will be a big improvement for beginners. It also is a fixed-grip triple.

Brundage has three other chairlifts, including one high-speed quad.

I've skied Brundage a few times and have always enjoyed the mountain. It can be an Oregon skier's first taste of Rocky Mountain powder snow. The snow really does dry out after the storms cross Oregon and hit places farther east.

For more on skiing in Idaho, read about my trip last March under the "Idaho ski'' category on this blog.

(PART 4 OF 4) Click on "continue reading the entry" to read the latest on how bungee jumping (but not BASE jumping) is being regulated on the Perrine Bridge. Every good ski trip has to come to an end, which...

(PART 4 OF 4)

Click on "continue reading the entry" to read the latest on how bungee jumping (but not BASE jumping) is being regulated on the Perrine Bridge.

Every good ski trip has to come to an end, which isn't all that bad because that means I head home to Portland. When people asked us where we were from during our Idaho adventure, I told the truth when I said Portland because I live in the city. My friend, Hank Faubion (who taught me how to ski 30 years ago), fibbed when he said Seattle. He actually lives in Brier, in southern Snohomish County, but no one would have a clue where that was.

Leaving Sun Valley, we drove south to Twin Falls, hoping to see some BASE jumping activity at the Perrine Bridge. No one was jumping that day, but seeing the Snake River Canyon brought back memories of something even more outlandish. Back in 1974, The Oregonian sent me to Twin Falls to cover Evel Knievel's attempted "motorcycle'' jump across the canyon, a mile upstream from the bridge. The daredevil used something that looked a lot more like a rocket than a motorbike. As he blasted off, the parachute deployed prematurely, dropping him down the same side of the canyon from where he launched. He emerged unhurt, which wasn't always the case during his storied career. His launch pad, a tiny bump on the horizon, is still visible

Terry RichardThe Perrine Bridge at Twin Falls, Idaho.

The Perrine Bridge is 486 feet above the Snake River, high enough for a parachute to deploy and bring a jumper to a safe landing. It's the highest bridge in Idaho. The first bridge built there was the tallest in the world when it opened in 1927. The bridge is the only manmade structure in the U.S. where jumping is allowed year round without a permit.

That made us wonder which bridges were highest in our home states and whether they are high enough to parachute from. Probably not. I knew that the Thomas Creek Bridge, 345 feet high, on U.S. 101 on the southern coast was the tallest bridge in Oregon.

Hank thought that the Deception Pass Bridge (180 feet) to Whidbey Island was tallest in Washington. I guessed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (190 feet). We were both way off when I learned that the Fred C. Redmon Bridge over Selah Creek on I-82 is 325 feet high. I'm not sure if it's the highest in the state, though.

On June 23, I found a higher bridge in Washington when I was visiting Mount St. Helens. The Hoffstadt Creek Bridge on S.R. 504, the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, is 370 feet above its namesake creek. The canyon has grown over with brush since the bridge was built and I certainly wouldn't jump from it, parachute attached or not.

After leaving Twin Falls, we drove along the Snake River, closely following the route of the Oregon Trail. Our last stop before the Boise Airport was Bruneau Dunes State Park, which claims to have the tallest single-structure sand dune in North America. It's height of 470 feet more than doubles the height of the tallest pile of sand in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. However, a dune in a vast expanse of sand rises to 900 feet in Colordao's Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The Idaho ski trip had been a success, especially from a financial standpoint when the air fare and rental car were so inexpensive (see the report on Brundage Ski Area). But I did set three personal bests when it came to spending money: $74 for a lift ticket at Sun Valley, $7 for a can of beer (Guinness) at Tamarack and $9.50 for a margarita at the Boise Airport. It was nice to get home after that sendoff from the airport.

Terry RichardBruneau Dunes State Park, Idaho.

]]>TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- The Idaho Transportation Department plans to put up signs on a pair of bridges in southwest Idaho as a reminder that blocking walkways on the bridges and tying items to the handrails are banned under state law.

Jerke said the signs should be up by Friday, Nov. 2, on the two bridges near Twin Falls and will help police enforce state laws.

Bungee jumpers attach themselves to elastic cords that are tied to high points, then leap off. But Transportation Department officials said private bungee jumping companies are using the bridges to make money, that the activity blocks the walkways across the bridges, and that handrails have been damaged by having the cords anchored to them.

Officials also said the activity is a distraction for drivers.

"We need to do what we can to make sure we keep the distractions along the side of the bridge to a minimum for the sake of drivers and pedestrians," Devin Rigby, a department engineer, told The Times-News. "We want to keep drivers' eyes on the road and walkways open and safe for everyone who wants to cross the bridge."

Officials said BASE jumpers -- who deploy parachutes rather than using bungee cords -- won't be affected as long as their equipment doesn't block the pedestrian walkways.

At more than 5,000 jumps annually, Perrine Bridge is one of the world's most-frequented BASE jump sites. The acronym refers to buildings, antennae, spans and earth.

Bungee jumpers, though, will be banned if authorities enforce the prohibition of connecting material to bridges.

"Is that going to prevent me from doing it? Absolutely not," said Matt Score, 22, adding he bungee jumps about once a week. "It's not just a vehicle bridge. It's not just for motorists. I pay taxes too."

He said that the bungee jumpers do not damage the bridge, and that he's not concerned about the new signs as he and other bungee jumpers have friendly interactions with police officers.

Terry RichardCollege run is one of the classics in American skiing. The town of Ketchum fills the valley, with Sun Valley Resort anchoring the far side of town. (PART 3 OF 4) There's just something about Sun Valley. Pan it...

Terry RichardCollege run is one of the classics in American skiing. The town of Ketchum fills the valley, with Sun Valley Resort anchoring the far side of town.

(PART 3 OF 4)

There's just something about Sun Valley. Pan it all you want for its lack of snow, but it's still one of my favorite ski areas.

On my late March visit, the snow was disappearing quickly on Bald Mountain, the site of Sun Valley's ski runs. From one vantage point near the 9,150-foot summit, when you looked down the mountain to the southeast, all you could see was sagebrush, rocks, trees and dry grass. The only snow was a faint little track that the grooming team had worked hard to maintain throughout the winter.

But that's all the snow that was needed there, because it was the track that connects the Roundhouse with the bottom of Seattle Ridge. The impeccable runs on Seattle Ridge, which carry names for three local Olympic medalists (Gretchen Fraser, Christin Cooper and Muffy Davis), were groomed to perfection. Elsewhere on the mountain, wherever snow was needed, it was there, including a run named for another local gold medalist, Picabo Street. At Sun Valley, the women know how to ski fast.

Sun Valley has world's largest artificial snowmaking system and a large grooming fleet to keep it in shape. Most skiers and snowboarders prefer natural snow, naturally, but without artifical snow Sun Valley's operation would be limited in low snow winters. And that would deprive skiers of the awesome trails on Bald Mountain.

I've skied 108 ski areas, mostly in western North America, and the runs on Bald Mountain are the best I've found. We bagan the day on Limelight, which drops 3,100 feet straight down the Warm Springs face. Seven hours later, we topped it off with a similar plunge down Ridge and Blue Grouse to the River Run Plaza and the day skier parking.

Out motel was less than a quartermile away, the Best Western Tyrolean Inn, the closest lodging to the River Run side. The rate seemed quite fair, $124 for a Saturday and dropping to $84 on Sunday. Sun Valley Resort and the town of Ketchum have many other lodging options.

Bald Mountain has 14 chairlifts, which serve mostly intermediate to expert terrain. Beginners can start on lower River Run, but they have their own mountain across town closer to Sun Valley Resort. Dollar Mountain, the beginner hill, now has a swanky daylodge equal to the three modern ones on Bald Mountain. Baldy also has two historic day lodges, so it's never hard to find a place to duck into for a snack when there are five to choose from.

Terry RichardThe Seattle Ridge daylodge was judged best in the industry by a national magazine when it opened in 1995.

The only drawback to skiing at Sun Valley is the hefty lift ticket price. The day fee of $74 is one of the highest in the industry, but it goes toward paying for the snowmaking, grooming and luxurious lodges. When you can easily ski 40,000 vertical feet in a day, the price is worth it. Skiers have even hit an incredible 100,000 vertical feet in a day at Sun Valley. My thighs are burning just thinking about it.

(PART 2 OF 4) Prepare to be amazed when you veer off Idaho 55, about 100 miles north of Boise, and get your first look at Tamarack Resort. Wow! It's almost too much to comprehend. Actually, my March 23 visit...

(PART 2 OF 4)

Prepare to be amazed when you veer off Idaho 55, about 100 miles north of Boise, and get your first look at Tamarack Resort. Wow! It's almost too much to comprehend.

Actually, my March 23 visit was my second trip to Tamarack. The first came in December 2004 just after the resort opened to downhill skiing. The story I wrote for The Oregonian at that time follows this report.

Now in it's third winter of skiing, Tamarack offers a nice product, with three main lifts plus some beginner lifts serving east-facing runs on a ridge known as West Mountain. The ski slopes are not huge by Rocky Mountain standards, but they are enough to draw visitors from Oregon. The vertical drop is 2,800 feet from a top elevation of 7,700 feet.

What's most amazing about Tamarack is how quickly it is growing. While day skier services are still offered in temporary (but very comfortable) buildings, the resort has mushroomed around them. Construction is of the highest quality, right alongside America's elite ski destination resorts of Deer Valley, Utah, and Beaver Creek, Colo. These were America's last new ski areas, built from scratch 25 years ago, before the arrival of Tamarack.

Terry RichardA slopeside home at Tamarack.

Incredible log and stone houses line the lower runs, making Tamarack Idaho's premier slopeside ski destination. Sun Valley, the grand daddy of Idaho resorts, has limited slopeside lodging by comparison. But of course, Tamarack will never match Sun Valley in many other ways. My Sun Valley report is filed separately.

The newest project at Tamarack is the six-building Village Plaza, which seemed to rise before our eyes in the one day we had to ski there. After skiing, we spent a half-hour at a picnic table outside the upscale grocery store, quaffing brews, eating slices of prime rib off the grill and watching the workers scurry around the construction site.

Terry RichardTamarack Village Plaza is due for completion in summer 2008.

The Village will complement the Lodge at Osprey Meadows, a privately owned condominium resort that operates as a luxury mountain resort open to overnight visitors. A few days before, the Fairmont Hotel that will be built east of the Village sold out $140 million for 125 units in a few hours. This is the project tied to tennis stars Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf. Tennis won't necessarily be a big component of the new hotel, but Andre has already visited to take snowboard lessons. Nothing like a former world No. 1 in tennis looking like a rookie while he learns a new sport.

Besides skiing and tennis, Tamarack is already famous for its golf course. Golf Digest named Osprey Meadows, designed for Tamarack by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., as the best new public course in America (with greens fees over $75) in 2006. It beat out No. 2 Pacific Dunes, the third course at Bandon Dunes on the Oregon Coast, and Arnold Palmer's Prospector course at Suncadia Resort near Cle Elum, Wash., which was No. 7.

We skied about 15 runs during our day at Tamarack, staying mostly on the upper mountain. Surprisinly, we found about three inches of new snow when we had no idea that the weather pattern would produce any during our three-night stay nearby at McCall. Tamarack's midweek lift ticket was $45, a good deal for the skiing with the added bonus of watching a place being transformed before your eyes.

Terry RichardSerenity is a well-named ski run at Tamarack.

]]>Sunday, January 16, 2005

FRESH TRACKS IDAHO'S TAMARACK RESORT: IT'S NEW, IT'S GREAT AND YOU CAN GET THERE FROM HERE -- FAST

Nearly a quarter century in the making, a new four-season resort has emerged -- seemingly overnight -- in a hitherto quintessential Western valley in rural Idaho, just across the Oregon border.

When Tamarack Resort fired up its lifts in mid-December, it offered skiers and snowboarders the chance to make the freshest tracks in the nation and became America's first new major resort in 22 years to include skiing on public land.

East-facing ski runs descend 2,800 feet from the summit of West Mountain nearly all the way to vast Lake Cascade, where they end in a village being carved out of the wilds of Idaho. Already, three heavy-duty ski bridges connect overnight housing to the slopes, making the resort a pedestrian paradise.

Within a few years, long before all facets the $1.5 billion development -- including condos (for sale and for rent), two golf courses, a luxury lodge (which will open late this year and include a spa and fitness center), more restaurants, more shops . . . more of everything -- is completed, Tamarack will take its place among the best of North America's year-round resorts.

It also will forever change the face of Long Valley. These days, livestock and pickup trucks still outnumber people and hatchbacks. But as vacationers make the 100-mile drive north from Boise in their Hummer SUVs and Lexus sedans, farmlands are sprouting "for sale" signs and real estate prices are skyrocketing.

This summer, the slopes of West Mountain were crawling with heavy construction equipment. By the time snow began to fly in November, 638 construction workers had built five ski lifts, 64 chalets and cottages, plus support facilities required to handle 2,000 guests per day. All this in a part of Idaho where Donnelly, the nearest town, eight miles to the east, has a population of 137.

More chalets and cottages, offering 1,200 to 2,400 square feet of living space and such features as wraparound decks with outside gas fireplaces, are becoming available to rent as soon as they are finished.

Right now, Tamarack's temporary village, called Discovery Square, is a cluster of white-domed structures that look like igloos but provide the comfort and interior decor of permanent structures. The ready-to-assemble buildings, manufactured in Alberta, were the best way to instantly provide 35,000 square feet for services that include casual dining (in the Canoe Bar and Grill), fine dining (at Morels in the Club Dome), retail sales and rentals (at the Sharper Edge) and programs for families in a children's center (the Wildhorse Youth Dome). Yurts made in Oregon house the Trailside Cafe and nearby Nordic boutique and snowshoe center.

Sherry Harkin/Tamarack ResortNordic trails at Tamarack Resort, Idaho

Tamarack is not modeled precisely after any existing U.S. resort. But think Utah's Deer Valley -- widely acclaimed as an industry standard-setter for quality of construction and service.

The Rocky Mountains begin in earnest just beyond the Idaho state line, across Hells Canyon from Oregon. Barely tall enough to climb above tree line, the ranges are more rounded and gentle than the jagged peaks farther east.

Since the 1970s, investors dreamed of building the perfect ski resort there on West Mountain, the long, forested ridge that rises above Idaho's fourth-largest lake.

Environmental issues inherent with building a new resort on federal land thwarted the plan, sending the proposal into bankruptcy. A few years ago, a new group of investors, led by Frenchman J.P. Boespflug, revived the plan with a twist.

Instead of cutting ski runs on the Boise National Forest, he proposed building trails on adjacent state land. His development company already owned land for a village at the base of the mountain.

When the Idaho Legislature unanimously approved a 49-year lease in 2003, bulldozers began to roll.

This is the resort's first full winter of operation, with top-to-bottom downhill skiing on 700 acres -- good now but bound to get even better as additional lifts open another 1,400 acres in the future.

Meanwhile, the 30-kilometer cross-country ski center, which operated last winter, features a mix of trails that wind through the forest, across the future golf course and past expensive new homes.

When the snow melts this spring, Tamarack will serve summer guests with mountain bike and hiking trails, lake kayaking and golfing on an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones II course. A second course is planned nearby, where the Payette River enters Lake Cascade.

The resort's first release of 171 housing lots brought an average price of $450,000, injecting $77 million into the project. Another 97 lots, valued at $55 million, are being sold this month, with the total number of homes, chalets and townhouses expected to rise to 2,000 in a decade.

Even Sun Valley, Idaho's venerable resort 100 air miles to the southeast, didn't develop this fast.

Terry RichardTemporary buildings, which are very efficient and comfortable inside, continue to serve Tamarack until the opening of the permanent village in summer 2008.

Arriving guests learn within minutes that Tamarack is different from the typical day-visitor resorts that dominate the Northwest winter sports.

As visitors walk to the ticket window, a Tamarack employee hands out free cookies and welcomes them to the resort. At the end of the day, an employee dispenses hot chocolate and candy.

When a guest fills out a form to rent gear, the clerk looks at it and calls the person by name. The next day, the clerk remembers that guest's name as they casually pass in the village.

This is not an accident. According to Jim Spentz, operations manager, Tamarack's mission is to become a multigenerational, high-service, low-volume, quality four-season resort. To that end, the resort plans to provide for 250,000 visitor days per winter -- about 10 percent of the total at British Columbia's world-class Whistler Resort -- and is hiring personnel with care.

Many of Tamarack's managers have been lured away from some of the nation's best resorts. Then staff was filled in mostly with local residents. Recreation director Tim Wolfgram is from Deer Valley, where he co-directed a ski school with 600 instructors. At Tamarack, he's in charge of 34. The smaller number, he said, will allow for more personal service.

Isolated as it is in the rural Idaho, Tamarack occupies overnight guests by keeping its restaurants open well after the lifts close. Those who don't want to head back to their condos before apres ski activities can spruce up in Club Scrub, a shower facility designed just for this purpose. After 7 p.m., the Canoe Grill converts to a movie theater showing first-run movies. And the Crane Creek Market, an affiliate of an upscale Boise grocery, offers condo-renters fresh meat, produce and flowers, an olive bar, imported beers and wines, and gourmet cheeses. Its deli can sell a take-and-bake pizza or cater a gourmet evening meal.

Tamarack is not the first upscale development in this part of western Idaho. Twenty miles to the north, McCall has long been one of the state's most appealing resort towns, albeit one without a major ski mountain.

Tamarack will ratchet up business for McCall, too, but the town poised for the biggest change is Donnelly, a wide spot on Idaho 55 that is the turnoff leading to Tamarack. Already, property values are skyrocketing and business entrepreneurs are moving in.

Gary Buchanan and his Swedish wife, Viktoria, arrived from Boise to purchase Club Donnelly. With smoke hanging thickly over a pool table, they serve drinks and snacks while dressed in ski clothes. Business has been so brisk they don't have time to change after their ski day at Tamarack.

On one Sunday night last month, their male clientele outnumbered the lone female by 20, but the Buchanans hope the ratio will change with the addition of a nonsmoking steakhouse on the second floor.

Across the street, Tom and Julie Steinberg operate Buffalo Gal, a New York-style deli that sells organic produce. They moved to Donnelly five years ago when the ski town where they had lived for 14 years got too crazy for them.

That town was Bend, 300 miles to the west in Oregon.

"We've met about six families who moved here from Bend for the same reason we did," Tom Steinberg said. "It grew beyond what we wanted it to be."

Unfortunately for the Steinbergs, they see the same potential in Donnelly.

For now, the town's main business is a gas station/mini-mart, with a roadside sign promising another to be built soon. A second small grocery store also serves as the state liquor outlet. Donnelly's health food and vitamin store shares space with a hat maker.

One mile east of town, out in the snow-covered countryside, the 100-year-old Roseberry store serves as a museum for 35 years of antiques collected by owners Frank and Kathy Eld. The store also sells a bottle of stout imported from Finland, a beer favored by descendents of the valley's earliest settlers.

Donnelly's main overnight stop is the 44-room Boulder Creek Inn, which opened last July and bustles with contractors working at Tamarack. Its morning breakfast bar features two do-it-yourself waffle irons, not uncommon in a state where waffles and gravy are served up more often that sausage and eggs.

You also can make your own waffles at the Ashley Inn, 16 miles south on Idaho 55 in Cascade.

When the Boise Cascade Corp. closed its lumber mill in 2001, some Cascade residents thought it would be the end of their town. Ashley and Katrin Thompson had other plans. Eighteen months ago, the Thompsons opened what they call "the finest hotel in Idaho."

Capitalizing on the town's scenic setting, the inn's opening was the first step in transforming the local economy from extractive industries to one based on tourism and real estate.

Indeed, the Victorian-style hotel, with its ballroom designed as a replica of the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, would stand out in any city, let alone in a drive-through Idaho town.

Each of the 67 rooms is decorated differently, although each has a fireplace -- but no fire. Instead of real flames, the fire is projected, so it's like watching burning logs on TV. That way, the building wasn't overwhelmed with chimneys.

Twice daily buses collect guests at Ashley Inn and other lodgings to deliver them to Tamarack's ski runs -- ultimately the key to Tamarack's success.

And so far, success is looking mighty likely.

Terry RichardCascade Lake, 25 miles long, at the base of Tamarack makes the area a four-season resort.

Tamarack opened on schedule Dec. 15, despite a slow winter's start in the West. While other regional ski areas waited for natural snow, Tamarack blew snow out of machines to cover rocks on its lower run.

Two high-speed quad chairlifts whisk skiers and snowboarders to the 7,700-foot summit of West Mountain. Serenity and Bliss, top-to-bottom runs on either side of the lifts, are perfect for high-speed cruising, without flat spots to mar the experience. Experts can test themselves further by legally hiking into areas denied the resort by the U.S. Forest Service.

After a day on the slopes, the perfect place to relax is Gold Fork Hot Springs, a 20-mile drive across the valley.

A long soak in three fabulous pools is guaranteed to get you ready for another day on the slopes at America's newest four-season resort.

(PART 1 OF 4) Southern Idaho's ski areas drew me for a quick visit in late March after I finished interviewing the winners in The Oregonian's Travel Photo Contest. I scored a Horizon Airlines ticket for $118 to Boise in...

(PART 1 OF 4)

Southern Idaho's ski areas drew me for a quick visit in late March after I finished interviewing the winners in The Oregonian's Travel Photo Contest. I scored a Horizon Airlines ticket for $118 to Boise in early February when the airline announced its winter sale. The rental car was inexpensive, too _ $125 for a Chevy Malibu for six days from Alamo. The trunk opened into the backseat to make it easy to carry skis. Gas cost was $55 for 700 miles, about 35 cent a gallon less than we were paying in Portland.

Terry RichardMount Hood from a Horizon Air flight.

Leaving PDX, I got a good look at Mount Hood and wondered if I was crazy leaving Oregon to ski. The state's highest mountain was blanketed with another fresh coat of snow, but I was headed for some good ski areas and I always try to ski out of state at least once a winter.

After meeting a friend from Seattle at the Boise airport, we headed out of town via Eagle to get ahead of the evening commute. Boise's northwestern suburb is growing quickly and traffic can be about as bad as we were escaping in Portland or Seattle. We stopped for a late lunch at Bardenay's, a hip Boise bar that distills its own spirits. The company also has a downtown bar, but the one in Eagle on the Boise River is new. After a mediterranean steak pita and a bloody mary for lunch, we drove north out of booming Boise on Idaho 55 toward McCall.

Just after passing through Cascade, we veered off the highway and drove into the Idaho sticks six miles to Gold Fork Hot Springs. A private development, the springs is very well-cared for and maintained. We hadn't done a thing to deserve our $8 soak, but we enjoyed 45 minutes in the largest of six concrete pools while gazing at the beauty of surrounding the Payette National Forest

We stayed in McCall at a World Mark/Trendwest property, a time-share condo that many Oregonians have bought into. McCall has numerous other lodging options, for those who lack a condo to call home. Essentially a summer vacation resort, the town sits at the south end of Payette Lake and is a 10-minute drive from Brundage Mountain Ski Area, a long established ski hill in the state's west-central mountains.

Brundage is mostly for locals, but a fair number of Oregonians find their way across the state line to ski the 7,640-foot high ridge that is served by two main chairlifts, plus some beginner lifts. It gives Oregonians their first sense of Rocky Mountain skiing as they head east out of the state.

The day lodge is strictly old school, but I always like to mix the feel of a 1960s ski area with the ultramodern resorts we would be visiting later. We made a dozen runs on groomed slopes, with a few detours to days old powder, on the Blue Bird Express high-speed quad. The ski area has an 1,800-foot drop, so it's not huge but would fit neatly within the second tier of Oregon resorts. The lift ticket was $44.

The ski area will open its first new lift-served terrain since 1989-90 when it adds two lifts this summer. The longest will drop about 800 vertical feet from the summit on a south-facing slope, with views to Payette Lake and McCall. The other new lift will better connect the other lifts and take way a lot of the traversing that snowboarders loathe.

The ski area has recently come under single ownership and has completed a land swap with the U.S. Forest Service. It eventually hopes to develop a small base village, including overnight housing, and open more terrain to the north. For now, Brundage a great introduction to Rocky Mountain skiing for Oregonians who aren't usually lucky enough to find powder snow under cobalt blue skies.

Terry RichardSkiers will be able to drop southeast from the summit of Brundage, toward Payette Lake, when a new lift opens next winter.